Bloodshed
by Darkeiko
Summary: She was once a hero of the Sin'dorei. Yet in one moment, everything was taken away from her. Everything was taken...by him...the Lich King.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Any and all things are in the hands of their prospective owners. Translation: I own nothing except my OCs. **

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**_"It's begun._**

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According to Lor'themar Theron, Ranger-General of Silvermoon, the Scourge had invaded a town, Havenshire, in the Eastern Plaguelands. The citizens had called for assistance from New Avalon, a town located due south of Havenshire. Despite the overwhelming support of Scarlet soldiers from New Avalon, the amount of Scourge continued multiplying giving the impression that the crusaders were making no headway in their efforts.

New Avalon had sent a courier directly to Silvermoon City in a desperate attempt for help. Their fleets were dying and their supplies were diminishing each day. Soon their people will starve to death and join the massive undead army. Without support from the Horde alliance both towns will eventually meet their downfall.

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_**Young heroes... I was once like you. You have come to this place seeking to bring judgment upon the damned.**

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As such she, as well as others, was ordered to investigate and contribute to repelling the Scourge in any way possible. The blood elf navigated through the scorched land producing a map, from her traveling backpack, of the area. She viewed the Light's Hope Chapel in the distance and understood that she was mere miles from her destination. Soon her sword shall bring righteous justice upon the Scourge.

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_**You will venture deep into forgotten lands. You will see wonders beyond imagining**.

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Carneficina drew hardly a breath as her eyes lay on what was before her. The quaint town of Havenshire was reduced to nothing short of chaos. Civilians cowered in their place as Scarlet Crusaders ran about, retaliating against the Scourge onslaught. However, their efforts were futile. The Scourge outnumbered them tremendously, and where one was killed another fifty took its place. There was no end to the carnage and bloodshed. Even if she could help, it would be all for naught.

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**_But be warned.

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Blood poured profusely from a shoulder wound inflicted by one of the Geists. It chuckled maniacally at having caught her defenseless and dived at her once more, claws outstretched. The paladin rolled out of the way, wincing as the ground bit into her injury. She raised her sword with her right, throwing out a Judgment of Light with her left. Within a moment of her cast the blood elf sprung on her stunned assailant amputating a limb with one swipe of her blade.

Blood spewed forth from the stump painting the battleground a dull scarlet, and the Geist howled clutching the base of his arm in pain. It continued to shriek in terror as Carneficina readied herself to deliver the final blow.

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**_The land itself will rise up against you. Long forgotten terrors will smother your courage.

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The land around her began to crumble and fall away. From the gaps in the soil rose hundreds upon thousands of undead, prepared to defend their comrade. They gathered around her, blocking off any way of escape. Sweat ran from her brow and her legs quaked in fear. In that moment she truly knew what it was like to stare into the face of death.

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_**Sacrifice everything as the final darkness falls... in the end, all that awaits you is death. **

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But the paladin boldly stood her ground, grasping the blade in both hands tightly. If she were to go down, she shall go down with a fight. Carneficina dove into the fray with a leap, slashing blindly at her foes. Her Divine Protection surrounded her in a glowing bubble, making her temporarily invincible. Claws knocked at the barrier only to ricochet backwards.

She continued slicing, counting backwards from twelve until the barrier finally gave way. The Geists wasted no time in barraging her with attack after attack. Crimson rain poured from each blow and her screams were lost amongst the jovial shouts of the dead. Everywhere was a searing pain; from her arms all the way down to her toes was agony in its finest. The paladin succumbed to the realization that there was no hope of escape.

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_**Only then will you understand - you've been following in my footsteps all along.**

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The sound of footfalls drew near to her battered form, halting an inch from her face. The Geists slowly backed away, bowing slightly in reverance at the newcomer. And suddenly she was lifted high into the air staring directly into the eyes of the Lich King. As she stared she was filled with a sense of foreboding. Something vile was going through his mind and Carneficina found herself struggling with all the strength she had left to keep conscious and get the _hell away_, be _anywhere_ other than there.

The Lich King chuckled darkly as he sensed her fear, shoving her limp form behind the horse bound Highlord Darion Mograine.

"Take her to Ebon Hold."

Mograine nodded obediently, drawing up his DeathCharger's reins and taking off for the hold. She found her eyes closing despite herself, her strength completely sapped from her frail body. She could only lie helpless as Mograine carried her to Ebon Hold, her fate falling into his and the Lich King's hands.

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_**So come then, you heroes! Come in all your power and glory! For in the final hour, all must serve the one... true... king."**_

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All that she heard as she was taken away was an echoing, malevolent laughter in the distance before her world turned black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Any and all things are in the hands of their respective owners. Translation: I own nada, nero, nilch...except the OCs.**

**Notice: One or two profane words used in this chapter.  
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"**_The life we had before is meaningless_**."

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_"How...how did I get here?"_

_She stood on the bloodstained battleground once more, her Inuuro's Blade in hand. Frightened shrieks echoed throughout Havenshire and New Avalon, and the smell of coagulated blood and burnt wood invaded her senses. Geists and ghouls alike rose from the ground in droves and slaughtered all who rose up against them. Liquid sprayed from every crevice and doused the blood elf's face a deep crimson. Everything seemed so corporeal, so real, so...  
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_"Impossible."she whispered.  
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_The Scarlet Crusaders' retaliation, the Scourge, the villagers, none of this was _real._ She was injured by the Geists, she was defeated by them, she was taken away by Mograine, she _remembered_ everything. With this realization, Carneficina's surroundings faded to black only to be replaced with another. _

_She was in her home in Silvermoon City, Inuuro's Blade absent from her grasp. Her paladin armor was stripped away as well, she noticed, replaced with a flowing red robe she had not worn in over ten years. Slowly she shuffled through the doorway leading into the main living room, stopping short as she viewed her mother and father gathering their equipment for the Third War. _

_"Mom, Dad?"_

_Both blood elves turned to their daughter in surprise, their emerald eyes projecting the fear they had for her protection. _

_"Carneficina!" her mother harshly whispered, grabbing her by the scruff. "What did I tell you about coming downstairs? Go to your room now!" _

_The young blood elf squirmed, breaking free of her mother's grasp and making a grab for the weapons lying forgotten on the carpeted floor._

_"No!" she screamed, shaking her head frantically. "I won't let you die again!" _

_Ignoring her parent's screams for her return, Carneficina rushed out the front door only for her surroundings to dissolve once more. Looking down, her attire was the same as when she fought the Geists and the sight of her sword was a comfort in itself. She immediately took on an offensive stance as she gazed up into the face of the Lich King.  
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_"You bastard! You'll pay for what you did to Quel'Thalas, my home, my family!" Her eyes darkened in rage as she raised her sword. However, before she could land one blow her body fell to the darkened floor in a heap, spasms wracking her body as she felt several volts of electricity run through her form. Footsteps approached her, just like before, only when she was lifted this time she gazed into the face of an angel.  
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"You must free yourself from the corruption of sin." _He whispered summoning a glowing bauble similar to Divine Protection around her. The angel released her yet she remained suspended in mid-air. _

"To enter into the next you must become devoid of ill-intent. You shall enter 'The Cleansing.'" _And suddenly, without warning, the memories and pain washed over her once more._

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Highlord Darion Mograine approached Ebon Hold, plucking the blanched corpse from his DeathCharger and gently laying it upon an onyx altar in the hold's center. Two fingers brushed against her neck, pressing down on the pliable flesh between the windpipe and the large muscle, and waited. Shortly after Mograine removed his digits, satisfied to feel no pulse, and side-stepped out of the way as Arthas approached.

The Lich King turned his head towards the Highlord who nodded curtly, silently answering his unasked question. Arthas's hands hovered above the blood elf, conjuring dark energy to be absorbed into the bloodied body. Wounds that peppered her flesh healed and the smeared blood vanished without a trace. As her injuries closed, the blood elf's appearance altered. Where there was once striking blonde hair was now a steely silver, and her eyes, once a breathtaking emerald, now matched the Lich King's azure ones.

The ritual had begun.

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_She was unsure how long she had remained in this place ("Where exactly...is this?"_). _Her memories became like a broken record, constantly skipping on the same ones time and time again. And each time she came face to face with the Lich King himself, she could never suppress the urge to run her blade through. Of course, this was not what the angel required and immediately afterward she was subjected to the same pain once more. _

_After what seemed like the hundredth memory skip the angel came before her once more, reaching one arm through the bauble and tilting her head so their eyes met. She felt so drained, more than the moments before she had died. All she wished for was an end, a way out of here, out of this place. _

"You cannot leave this place until your sins are..." _The angel's eyes widened as their surroundings crackled like the sky before a storm. A bolt of dark energy struck where the celestial being stood leaving no trace that he was ever there at all. The blood elf's eyes widened in fear as she frantically smacked into the barrier time and time again. Soon another bolt proceeded the first, penetrating the bauble until Carneficina herself was struck._

_The pain of before was nothing compared to this agony; She felt as if someone was drilling holes into her head. Memories rushed by her in a glance, being warped and distorted to a point where she could not distinguish which was real or not. Time and time again the Lich King's face appeared amongst the distorted images, her seething anger slowly being reduced to complacency and, finally, to loyalty.

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_The Lich King smirked as the ritual came to a close, the blood elf's eyes snapping open. Slowly she stood, her paladin garbs replaced with dark plated armor.

Arthas came before Carneficina, surveying his work critically. Her eyes, where before there was anger and a thirst to prove herself, now held no emotion other than determination to obey the being before her.

"Whom do you serve?" He spoke coldly, analyzing her response. To his pleasure she immediately went down on one knee, placing a chaste kiss on his gloved palm.

"You, my Lich King."

He nodded. "Good."

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_**"We exist only to serve him."**_

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**Author's Note: **Trust me when I say this chapter was extremely difficult to write. Changing Carneficina from a Paladin to a Death Knight was really...I mean really...hard. I'm probably going to get a bunch of questions wondering what's happening in this chapter and I'll answer all of them...or what I can anyway. Oh right! Thanks a bunch for the reviews everyone ^^. Especially Astalon The Judge, Darkspear Koralli, Jess Ishtar (I don't mind! xD Reviews whether anonymous or not are always welcome! :D), and Etherpendant (I'll try and fix the swapping in the first chapter O.o. Hopefully I did better with the tenses on here. xD).

**Inuuro's Blade:**  
Binds when picked up

One-HandSword

80 - 121 Damage, Speed 1.40

(71.8 damage per second)

+21 Stamina  
Durability 90 / 90  
Requires Shattered Sun Offensive - Revered

Equip: Increases defense rating by 13 (5.5 L70).  
Equip: Improves hit rating by 8 (0.51% L70).  
Equip: Increases your expertise rating by 11 (2.79 L70).


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Any and all things are in the hands of their prospective owners. Translation: I own nothing except my OCs. **

**Note: For this chapter and chapters to come,  
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_'...' means thinking, thoughts, or memories, whether it be present or past._

**Warning: Blood, lots of blood.**

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"**In Service of the Lich King.**"

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"All that I am: anger, cruelty, vengeance - I bestow upon you, my chosen knight. I have granted you immortality so that you may herald in a new, dark age for the Scourge." The Lich King spoke, guiding his newest creation toward the balcony overlooking Death's Breach. Carneficina followed obediently behind, overseeing the mayhem in the distance.

"Gaze now upon the lands below us, Carneficina. The Scarlet Crusade scurries to undo my work, while Light's Hope stands defiantly against us - a blemish upon these Plaguelands. They must all be shown the price of their defiance. You will become my force of retribution. Where you tread, doom will follow. Go now and claim your destiny, death knight. Speak with Thalanor at Death's Breach, quickly. The time to spill the blood of our enemies approaches."

Quietly the newly-formed death knight saluted her King, hopping aboard a nearby Scourge Gryphon and touching off for Death's Breach. The smell of death and decay lingered in the air prompting a malicious grin from her lips.

Vengeance...Cruelty...

Carneficina's eyes flashed maniacally.

_'Look at them down there...pathetic mortals. They shall all die! All of them shall meet their death for defying the Lich King. And once their bodies are slain, they shall rise up and follow the TRUE King!' _

Venomous laughter echoed sardonically over the landscape as the Gryphon descended into the multitude of tents below. Carneficina removed herself from the winged beast and strode over to the blonde-haired Blood Elf known as Scourge Commander Valanor.

The Commander greeted her with a salute, which she mimicked, his azure plate armor clinking together as he did so.

"You must be the chosen knight, Carneficina. Welcome...to Death's Breach." Valanor began walking down the length of Death's Breach, gesturing for her to follow. Open tents lined either side of their path, vendors and death knight initiates alike standing beneath - their protection from the bleating sun.

"A war is being staged here, Carneficina." Valanor said, snapping her to attention. "And if you are not willing to play a role...then you are a casualty."

The footsteps before her halted, Valanor swiveling to meet her gaze sternly. "Pit yourself against an initiate. In battle it is conquer or be conquered, predator or prey, life or death. Which will you choose, death knight? Show your worth to me."

The female death knight licked her lips eagerly in anticipation as the bravest of the initiates, an Orc, appeared before her, unsheathing a runic blade much like her own. Slowly both knights circled one another, gauging their enemy for any weakness in their stance, observing the most efficient way to strike.

Malevolent thoughts ran rampant through her mind - how she would torture this Orc, how she'd make him bleed, how he would be begging for mercy. She bared her teeth at the Orc, halting mid-stride and suddenly launching herself at her enemy.

"For the glory of the-" _'Sin'dorei!' _"-Lich King!" Sparks flew as blade struck against blade, both combatants inching forward placing their strength into their individual swords. Rancid breath fanned her face as the Orc drew near but she paid it no mind, concentrating solely on defeating her adversary. Their determined eyes locked, azure to azure, death knight to death knight.

Carneficina threw all of her energy into her weapon, sending the Orc stumbling backward in response. She took advantage of his moment of weakness, aiming a precise kick at the hand wielding his blade, the force sending it tumbling through the air and landing, blade first, into the dirt feet from where they stood. The Orc eyes darted quickly from his blade embedded in the soil to Carneficina's malicious grin, a plan slowly formulating in his mind. This battle would not end, not until he breathed his last breath.

Black-violet energy gathered in his palm, the Orc throwing out a Death Grip in the direction of his sword silently willing it to return to its master. Originally, Death Grip harnessed the unholy energy that surrounds and binds all matter, drawing a selected target toward the death knight and forcing the enemy to attack. However, he assumed that Death Grip could also be used for other purposes as well such as drawing weapons near when disarmed.

The former Sin'dorei hero looked on, satisfied at the turn of events. Her prey was smarter than he looked and, oh, how she relished a good fight. But of course like all good things, they must eventually end. As much as she wanted to continue this little game of cat and mouse, she had to assume her responsibility as the Lich King's chosen knight. Yes...she was his chosen knight...only his. None shall take her place.

Carneficina threw herself at her enemy, releasing an Icy Touch as she approached. The blizzard-like disease consumed the Orc, his arms becoming like jelly upon contact. She was coming, _death_ was coming, and he could not, for the life of him, lift his sword in time to block the oncoming blow.

Red, viscous liquid trailed down her armor as the blade cut through cartilage, arteries, and tissue, successfully decapitating her adversary. Smirking she stabbed her sword repeatedly into the headless cadaver, feeling as steel pierced skin and bone, staring in wonder as fresh blood poured freely from the open wounds. A crimson pool began to form, her feet sloshing in it like a child in the mud during a rainstorm. Deeply mesmerized was she by it that she hardly noticed the presence behind her.

"Well done, death knight." Valanor applauded, drawing her attention away from the mangled corpse. "As expected from the Lich King's chosen."

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**"Live or die - the choice is yours to make"**

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**Author's Note: I hope everyone paid really close attention to the dialogue...well...one part of the dialogue. Of course everything must move slowly, not everything is gained in an instant ya know. Yeah, you're probably wondering why I put so much dang BLOOD! Well...this is a servant of the Lich King and considering he's freaking evil as hell...so would the people under him. I didn't get any questions regarding last chapter so I'm assuming three things: 1) No one read it...at all, 2) Everyone got the gist of what was happening, or 3) No one knew what the heck was going on and are too afraid to ask. I don't really care about the reviews but it'd be nice if people gave me some feedback regarding if they understood what's been happening over the course of these chapters. **

**Oh, why did I stop there? Because the good parts are about to come in the next chapter. And by good parts...I mean bad parts. Or...something like that. Next chapter will PROBABLY be longer considering I have an idea of what to write. Whelp, that's about it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember...**

**Keep Reading!  
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